1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates generally to tow bars, and more particularly to a tow bar apparatus that includes a pair of tow bars attached to a towing vehicle via a stacked pair of linkages pivotally mounted on a vertical pivot post.
2. Description of Related Art
The state of the art in delta-type tow bar assemblies is disclosed in Greaves, U.S. Pat. Nos. 6,764,092, 6,612,604, and 6,502,847, which teach delta-type tow bar apparatus that includes ball-and-socket connections at both the towing vehicle and the towed vehicle.
Tow bars that bolt directly onto a towing vehicle for towing a towed vehicle are also well known in the prior art. Examples of such tow bars are shown in Parent, U.S. Pat. No. 5,765,851, and Johnson, U.S. RE 35,482.
It is also known to substitute at least one of the hinged connections with a ball-and-socket connection. Examples of this are shown in R. E. Moore, U.S. Pat. No. 2,139,970 and J. E. Powell, U.S. Pat. No. 1,185,435. Other prior art references of interest include W. W. Cushman, U.S. Pat. No. 2,916,301, W. La Hodny, U.S. Pat. No. 2,071,883, and Hobrath, U.S. Pat. No. 5,909,887.
The prior art teaches various forms of tow bars that are adapted to be mounted between the towed and towing vehicle. However, the prior art does not teach a tow bar apparatus that includes a pair of tow bars attached to a towing vehicle via a pair of linkages pivotally mounted in a stacked relationship on a vertical pivot post. The present invention fulfills these needs and provides further related advantages as described in the following summary.